I wish someone would lay out the case -- or point me to a document that lays out the case -- of why it's a national security threat. The only arguments in the reuters piece is:
* control devices -- if TikTok can take over devices, that's a sandbox problem, but I am suspicious about the accuracy of this claim
* influence users -- here's the rub. The USG is worried about having social media that is owned by a rival power influencing public opinion? The assumption behind this is that all forms of media consumed by Americans must be under US government control or approval (say an allied nation). Moreover, if you accept that this is a national security threat, how are other countries supposed to treat US properties like Facebook? Or USG efforts like Voice of America, National Endowment for Democracy, etc? This is a recipe for total information control based on blocs, with Great Firewalls separating each bloc, and no citizen able to access any social media platform unless it's owned by a friendly government in your own bloc.
Are the above two arguments the only ones? If there is a different reason why TikTok is a national security threat, I'd like to know, because all I see are short videos of old people dancing, young people yelling in their cars, and cat videos. None of that seems like a national security concern to me.
It is not. Or more accurately, TikTok overtook FB ( and all the stuff it was doing to all the other populations including US-sians ) so the risk comes from a perceived competitor ( or adversary as some are oh-so-ready to point out ) doing the same thing WE were/are doing all those god damn years.
I apologize. The conversation makes me mildly upset, because we are saying our information and population control was fine. It is only when control happens to be used by the wrong party everyone is shocked. Just shocked.
Like, we built this tool for mass gathering of data and information on people. How could anyone have predicted that it could be used against us?
I am sure it was predicted, but, well, its the good guys using it so its all-ok.
Only part valid is "influence users", rest is classical international politics, EU made several similar comments about US companies storing European users' data. ( data transfer between EU and US ) Just the strength of the headline is proportional to power of the country. When EU makes comment, it is usually between the lines, when US makes it is headlines.
I see no reason for the CCP, or any US citizen, to assume that Facebook/Google/Amazon is not infiltrated by the CIA/NSA/FBI and is not generally willing to throw anyone under the bus to comply with law enforcement requests or sell data to the highest bidder.
* control devices -- if TikTok can take over devices, that's a sandbox problem, but I am suspicious about the accuracy of this claim
* influence users -- here's the rub. The USG is worried about having social media that is owned by a rival power influencing public opinion? The assumption behind this is that all forms of media consumed by Americans must be under US government control or approval (say an allied nation). Moreover, if you accept that this is a national security threat, how are other countries supposed to treat US properties like Facebook? Or USG efforts like Voice of America, National Endowment for Democracy, etc? This is a recipe for total information control based on blocs, with Great Firewalls separating each bloc, and no citizen able to access any social media platform unless it's owned by a friendly government in your own bloc.
Are the above two arguments the only ones? If there is a different reason why TikTok is a national security threat, I'd like to know, because all I see are short videos of old people dancing, young people yelling in their cars, and cat videos. None of that seems like a national security concern to me.